A twin drum continuous casting machine, for example, is known as a continuous casting machine in which the mold walls are moved in synchronization with the cast strip. The machine is an apparatus for casting a thin cast strip, wherein a pouring basin of molten steel is formed by a pair of cooling drums each rotating in a direction opposite to that of the other drum and a pair of side gates applied to the respective ends of a pair of the cooling drums by pushing, a molten steel is supplied to the pouring basin, the molten steel is cooled and solidified along the peripheral surface of the cooling drums to form solidified shells, and the solidified shells are united in the gap between the cooling drums.
When a carbon steel containing up to 5% of C is cast into a thin cast strip having a thickness up to 10 mm by such a continuous casting machine, a thick scale containing FeO as its main component is formed on the cast strip surface. When a cast strip on which such a scale is formed is pickled, a rough surface appears. When such a cast strip is cold rolled, defects such as scab are formed on the cold rolled steel sheet, and the surface properties of the products are markedly impaired. Moreover, when the cast strip on which such a scale is formed is press worked or bent, there arises a problem that the scale is peeled off to impair the surface properties of the products.
There has heretofore been known a method as, for example, disclosed in Japanese Unexamined patent publication (Kokai) No. 59-199152, for completely inhibiting scale formation on a cast strip in twin drum type continuous casting, which method comprises transferring a cast strip sent from cooling drums along rolls in an inert atmosphere in a seal chamber, which is provided so that it surrounds the casting machine, to cool the strip to a temperature of up to 150.degree. C.
However, since the casting rate of the twin drum continuous casting machine is as fast as about 80 m/min, holding the cast strip in an inert atmosphere until the strip temperature becomes up to 150.degree. C. causes problems that a long and large cooling apparatus is required, that the productivity becomes poor, and that a large amount of inert gas is consumed.